About Processing USDA Foods

Processing of USDA-purchased foods allows eligible Contracting Entities (CEs) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), such as school districts, to convert raw bulk USDA foods into more convenient, ready-to-use end products. Most entities find they can:

Stretch their USDA Food dollars by ordering lower-cost bulk products;

Increase food safety by eliminating handling of raw product in school food service operations; and

Reduce labor costs and cash outlays for food preparation.

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Procurement of USDA Foods

The CEs procure USDA Foods for further processing through these procurement contracting methods:

Small Purchase

Competitive Sealed Bids

Competitive Negotiation

Non-competitive Negotiation

There are restrictions for using each option, including dollar amounts, so please verify all federal, state, and local laws with your purchasing or business department before selecting a method.

CEs can only award the processing of USDA Foods to a company on the TDA approved processor list. See the Approved Processor section below for more information.

Transfer of Further Processed USDA Foods Pounds

USDA only allows a onetime transfer of pounds from a Releasing entity to a Receiving entity. Thus, TDA will only allow a onetime transfer of pounds from a Releasing School to a Receiving School.

School to School transfers do not require State approval, and Entitlement is not adjusted between the Releasing School and Receiving School in TX-UNPS.

Processors are responsible for including the Program Year of the transferred pounds in the “comment” section of a transfer transaction in the respective tracking system (K12, ProcessorLink, or In-House). This will assist in identifying true used and/or unused carry over pounds during the annual Carry Over sweep process.

Please note: If a School to School transfer involves carry over pounds from the previous Program Year, then the “clock” for the pounds does not reset. A Receiving School should only accept enough pounds from a Releasing School that can draw down (delivered) by November 30th.

School to School transfers of inventory at the processor level have final approval from the processor, and must be coordinated via a transfer form requiring signatures from the Releasing School, Receiving School, and processor. It’s encouraged that respective co-op coordinators be included on emails regarding any transferred pounds, if applicable.

At times, School to School transfers may be submitted to processors by the co-op coordinator acting on behalf of their co-op members. However, the Releasing school and the Receiving school must approve of the transfers via a transfer form, and be included on emails regarding the transfer.

Transfers that require State approval are:

Transfer of pounds In or Out of the Texas State Account,

Processor to Processor transfers, and

State to State transfers.

Participation Options

CEs can choose to participate in processing of USDA Foods in one of two ways: either on their own or through participation in a co-operative managed by a lead school or a third party entity such as a private company or educational service center (ESC). Co-ops using a third-party that is not a governmental entity must use the bid or request for proposal (RFP) process to award a contract to a third-party entity.

Passing the Savings On

In an effort to provide low-cost, nutritious meals to millions of Texans, the company (aka processor) is required to return the full value of the USDA Food that is contained in the finished end product. TDA allows contracting entities to use one of the following value pass-through options:

Net off Invoice - discounting the normal commercial price of a product;

Refund - paying a refund to the school, or

Fee for Service - charging a fee for service for converting the USDA Foods.

Managing Inventory Levels

Processors will use either an in-house program or a third-party tracking system to monitor their inventory levels. Third-party tracking systems have updated to the new USDA MPR template. Click here for new MPR format. Carryover inventory is unused USDA Foods inventory from the previous school year. Federal regulations state that the CE must not carry excess inventory. Click here for more information.

Co-op and Non Co-op Processing Schools

Click here for a list of co-op schools and non co-op schools. Most schools participate as members of a USDA Foods processing cooperative; however, some CEs large enough to handle a truckload of a single USDA Food and can process without being a member of a co-op. Examples of activities a purchasing cooperative engages in includes:

Once the procurement process is complete, co-op and non co-op processing schools can only divert USDA Foods for further processing to a company that has an approved State Processing Agreement (SPA) with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Click here for a list of approved processors.

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call(866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: